Railway draft appliance



E. GEORGE, JR. RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANCE. APPLICATiON man APR. 16, 1920.

1,346,538, Patented July 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. GEORGE, JR.

RAILWAY DRAFT APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1920.

1,346,538, Patented July 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:eivocn (mouse, .1 or rnrrsnunen, rnnnsvnvnnln, ASSIGNOR no THE MoGON-WAY 86 TORLEY ANYL Q IE ESBURGE, r nNNsrLvAma, A CORPORATION orPENNSYLVANIA.

harness.

' Application filed April 16,

T0 (ZZZ who/2t it may concern:

Be it known that l, ENOOH Gnonen, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-- way Draft Appliances 5 and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to draft appliances for railway vehicles andparticularly to adevice of that char-z cter which is especially designedto overcome difficulties in operating trains composed wholly or in largepart of small industrial cars andopen hearth charging and other millcars over tracks having sharp vertical curves, as for example, a trackextending up or down an incline and then continuing along a horizontalplatform. Theprincipal object of the invention is to provide a draftappliance, suitable for the purpose indicated, which shall be compact inform, strong and durable, and whichshall permit the car coupler forminga part thereof to execute eirtended swinging movements both verticallyand horizontally. In carrying out my invention 1 provide a bracketmember which is adapted to be rigidly secured to a car and pivotallyconnect thereto, so that it may swing vertically both above and belowits normal position, a coupler supporting member which is preferablyprovided at its outer end with a pocket for receiving the shank of a carcoupler that is pivotally connected by means of a vertically extendingpivot pin to the coupler supporting member, the latter being yieldinglysustained by the bracket through the instrumentality of springs whichare seated upon the latter and engage the pivoted coupler supportingmember on opposite sides of the pocket portion thereof. Such. aconstruction embodies the main features of my invention. Minor featuresof my invention, residing in certain advantageous detailsofconstruction, will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred form in which I contemplateapplying the principle of my invention e Figure 1 is a plan view of adraft appliance.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism an ation of Letters Patent.

"RAILW Y nears: arrnlenon.

Patented July 13, 1920.

1920. Serial no; 374,342

illustrated in Fig. l, the head of the coupler being omitted.

Fig. 3 a section on the line 3--3, Fi 2.

A 1g. 4: 1s a plan view of a modified form of draft appliance embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the construction illustrated in Fig. 4,the coupler head being omitted.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the form of bracket memberembodied inthe construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

p In the drawings, 1 isa car coupler, 21s a coupler supporting member towhich the car coupler is attached, and 3 is a bracket member which isadapted to be rigidly connected to a car, as for example, by means ofbolts passing through the openings 4 formed in the base or flange 5 ofthe bracket. The coupler supporting member 2 is preferably provided atits forward end with an outwardly flaring pocket 6 for receiving theshank of the coupler, said shank being preferably cylindrically curvedat its rear end concentric with a vertically extended aperture which isadapted to receive a pivot pin i that also passes through correspondingvertically alined openings in'the top and bottom walls of the pocketportion 6 of the coupler supporting member. If desired the head of thevertically extending pivot pin 7 may be flattened on opposite sides toengage upstanding lugs 8 adjacent the pivot pin opening in the upperwall of the pocket 6, the pivot pin thereby being prevented from turningwhen the coupler 1' swings laterally with respect to the coupler supporting member 2. y

1 he coupler supporting member is pivotally connected to the bracket 3rearwardly of the vertically extending pivot pin 7 in such manner thatit is restrained from lateral movement but is capable of swingingmovements both above and below its normal position.- To effect thisconnection it is preferred to provideithe bracket 3 with a plurality ofspaced lugs9 having horizontally alined pivot pin openings therein whichare adapted to receive a pivot pin 10,

the coupler supporting member 2 being provided witha rearwardlyextending bar or tongue 11 which lies between the pivot lugs 9 and isprovided with a suitable opening to receive the-pivot pin 10. The rearend of the tongue 11 is preferably convexly beveled, as indicated at 12,toafiord clearance allowing vertical swinging of the coupler sup portingmember 2, the beveled faces 12 preferably being disposed so as to limitthe vertical swinging and its supporting member.

Thevbracket 3 is preferably provided at opposite sides wlth arms 18-wh1ch are of the bracket some united t'othe flange what below thehorizontally extending pivotpin 10 and which slope downwardly towardtheouter end ofthe coupler supporting member 2. The arms 13. are'formed attheir outer ends with upwardly opening cylindricalspring seats 14 whichare respectively adapted to-receiye springs 15by whichthe couplersupporting member 2' 1s yieldiugly sustained. The arms 13 may bereinforced by diagonally extending bracingflanges 16, whichintegrallyconnect the spring cups 14 with the basal flange 5- of thebracket member, and they are also preferably united attheir inner endsby a transversely extending web 17 which is recessed at its forward endas'at 18 in vertical alincment with the pocket (iv-of the couplersupporting member so as toleave the outer ends of the arms 13disconnected and in spaced relation. Y p

The coupler supporting member 2 passes between the'springs 15 andisprovided near its upper, side with oppositely disposed spring seats 19between which the pocket 6.

intervenes. These spring seats, 'which'are preferably of convexspherical form and 1 are respectively adapted to bear 'uponthe 'upperends'of thesprings, may berrigldly united tothe pocket portion 6andtongue 11 of the coupler supporting member 2 by horizontallyextendingwebs or platesZO formedintegralwith the coupler support-Q mg member. Itwill be perceived that by causing the, sprlngs 15 vertically to overlapthe coupler supporting member 2 and by. re-

cessingthe bracket member 3 so as to leave the arms 13-thereof spacedapart and disconnected below the pocket portion 6 of the couplersupporting member 2, as well as by the downward-sloping of the arms 13of the bracket -member, the device may be mace compact while yetpermitting thecoupler l to execute extended swinging movements in avertical direction.

The .operation of the Ineehanism' illusf trated in F igs. :1, 2 and 3and heretofore de- I scribed will be 7 readily understood; 7 On;le'veltrack the coupler 1 is normally held in ahorizontal planebyimoansof the springs 15? which are free to compress when the car to which thedevice is applied passes over a convex verticalcurve. In .passing'overadip such "asexists at the bottomof an incline, the coupleri freely liftsas far as may be necessary, carrying upwardly withit the couplersupportingniember 2 which turns upon; the pivot;pi1i 10bywhich'ifiis-secured movements of the coupler to the bracket 3; henlevel track again is reached the coupler 1 resumes ts normal posltlon ina horlzontal plane due to the action of gravity. 1 p v The modified formof constructlon dis- 7 closed in Figs. 4-, 5 and 6 is substantially likethat-heretofore described, except that the bracket 3 by which themechanism is ,connected to the car-is provided with only a singlesloping arm 13 and the coupler supporting member 2 is yieldinglysustained by a single spring 15 which is seated in a spring cup 14at'the outer end of the arm 13 and bears upon a centrally disposedconvexlycurved spring seat 19 -fori ned on the under side ofthe couplersupporting member 2 In this form of the mechanism.

connected to the latter by means ofa verticallyextending pivot pin 7,and the memberiZ is pivotally connected to thebracket' by means of'ahorizontally extending pivot pin 10 which passes through per forated'lugs provided. Y' I claim: '1; In a railway draft appliance, t-he conrbinationwith a'bracket member which is adaptedtobe rigidly secured to'a'car, of a coupler supporting member, a horizontally extending pivot pinfor pivotally connecting said members was to permit saidcouplersupporting member to swing vertically V with respeotto said bracket,yielding means interposed between said coupler supporting for supportingmember and said bracket said coupler supporting member, a car couplerextending forwardly from said coupler supporting member, ,and avertically extendingxpivotpin connecting said coupler and said couplersupporting-member in advance of the pivotal connection of said couplersupporting member-and bracket.

In a railway draft appliance, the combination with abracket member whichis adapted to "be rigidly secured to a car, of a coupler supportingmember, means for pivotally connecting sald members to permit saidcoupler supporting member'to have an extended swinging movementvertically with respect to said bracket member," means interposedbetween said'coupler supporting member-and said bracket for yieldinglymember against downward movement with respect to said bracket member,acar coupler connected to said coupler supporting member 9 with which thebracket is spring supporting. said coupler supporting lit.

andv extending forwardly therefrom, and means for pivotally connectingsaid coupler and coupler supporting member so as to permit said couplerto swing laterally.

3, In a railway'draft appliance, the combination with a bracket memberwhich is adapted to be secured to a. car, of a coupler supportingmember, means for pivotally connecting said members so as to permit saidcoupler supporting member to swing vertically both above-and below itsnormal position, means mounted on said bracket member for yieldinglysupporting said coupler supporting member against downward verticalmovement, a car coupler, and means for pivotally connecting said.coupler and coupler supporting; member so as to permit said coupler toswing laterally in either direction with respect to said couplersupporting member.

i. in a railway draft appliance, the combination with a bracket memberwhich is adapted to be rigidly secured to a car, of a coupler supportingmember, a horizontally extending pivot pin pivotally connecting saidcoupler supporting member and said bracket member, a car coupler, avertically extending pivot pin connecting said coupler and couplersupporting member, and a spring operatively interposed between saidbracket member and said coupler supporting member, said bracket memberbeing pro vided with a forwardly extending arm sloping downwardly from apoint adjacent said horizontally extending pivot pin and forming asupport for said spring.

o. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a bracket memberwhich is adapted to be rigidly secured to a car, of a coupler supportingmember, means for pivotally connecting said members so as to permit saidcoupler supporting member to swing vertically but not horizontally withrespect to said bracket member, means mounted on said bracket member foryieldingly supporting said coupler supporting member in advance of saidmeans for pivotally connecting said coupler supporting member andbracket, a car coupler, and means for pivotally connecting said couplerto said coupler supporting member so that said coupler may swinglaterally with respect to said coupler supporting member.

6. in a railway draft appliance, the combination. with a bracket memberwhich is adapted to be rigidly secured to a car, of a coupler supportingmember, means for pivotally connecting said coupler supporting member tosaid bracket member, said means involving a horizontally extending pivotpin and a plurality of lugs having horizontally alined perforations, aspring mounted on said bracket member for yieldingly supporting saidcoupler supporting member, a car coupler, and means for pivotallyconnecting said coupler to said com pler supporting member so as topermit said coupler-to swing laterally with respect supporting member tosaid bracket memher so as to allow said coupler supporting member toswing vertically, springs interposed between said arms and said couplersupporting member, a car coupler, and means for pivotally connectingsaid coupler to said coupler supporting member so as to permit saidcoupler to swing laterally to either side of its central position.

8. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a bracket memberprovided with a plurality of arms which are spaced apart anddisconnected at their forward ends, of a coupler supporting memberhaving at its forward end a pocket adapted to receive a car coupler andbeing provided with spring seats on opposite sides of said pocket andbeing pivotally connected to said bracket member rearwardly of saidpocket, means for pivotally connecting said coupler supporting member tosaid bracket member, springs respectively interposed between said armsand said spring seats of the coupler supporting member, a car couplerextending into said pocket of said coupler supporting member, and meansfor pivotally connecting said coupler and coupler supporting member.

9. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a bracket member,of a coupler supporting member, means for pivotally connecting saidmembers so as to permit said coupler supporting member to swingvertically, a spring interposed between said bracket member and saidcoupler supporting member, a car coupler, and means for pivotallyconnecting said car coupler to said coupler supporting member, saidcoupler supporting member having a convex spring seat adapted to engagesaid spring.

10. In a railway draft appliance, the combination with a bracket memberwhich is adapted to be rigidly connected to a cansaid bracket memberbeing provided with a pinrality of spring seats and a recess betweensaid spring seats, of a coupler supporting member having a pocketadapted to receive a car coupler, means for pivotally connecting saidbracket member and coupler supporting member rearwardly of said pocket,springs respectively engaging said spring seats and interposed betweensaid bracket spring seats being out of vertical alinement.

In a railway draft appliance, the

combination with a bracket member which is adapted to be rigidly securedto a car, of a coupler supporting member, means for pivotally Connectingsaidmembers' so as to permit said coupler supporting member to swlngvertically, a plurality of spaced springs seated upon said bracket andVere tically overlapping said coupler supporting member, a .car coupler,and means ior pivotally connecting said coupler to said cou plersupporting member so as to permit said coupler to swing laterally.

1 In testimony wherof I aflix my signature. ENOCH GEORGE, JR.

